The Night Sky: J-Rock version

Hideto Matsumoto, wearing heat-trapping vinyl

hide: Rocket Dive

[purchase]

Buck-Tick: Jupiter

[purchase]

Kiyoharu: Venus (Shocking Blue cover)

[purchase]

It's the space-age J-Rock entry you've all been dreading anticipating!

I've posted all these Visual Kei artists before, and I know you remember them all really well, right? The first is by guitarist nonpareil (and romanticized dead rock icon) hide (say it "hee-day"). It's a full-out speed metal tune best enjoyed at full volume while roaring down the highway. The second is a more ethereal song by long-time rockers Buck-Tick. The third is one you'll actually recognize – it's the Shocking Blue song. Like Antony Hegarty, who I posted earlier this week, Kiyoharu has an unusual voice: kinda strangled and with lots of vibrato. His Engrish admittedly doesn't add much to his appeal, either. Nothing anyone can say, though, will dim my love for him.

The Kiss: J-Rock Kisses

Kuroyume: Kiss

[purchase]

Alice Nine: Kiss Twice, Kiss Me Deadly

[purchase]

Buck-Tick: Just One More Kiss

[purchase]

Kiyoharu: Just One More Kiss

[purchase]


It's been a while since I've shared some J-Rock with you. Luckily(?), there are many such songs that actually have the English word "kiss" in the title, and here are a few.

Kuroyume was one of the big Visual Kei groups of the '90s, and the lead singer was Kiyoharu, whom I introduced to you already. The lyrics are typically vague and emotive and a few of the phrases are sung in English:

Too Far Away, a kiss on the cheek... you, so innocent, unable to say a word
Silence, a deep kiss... you, crying, unable to do a thing…
Too Far Away, a distant kiss.. where has your innocence been hidden away?
Be Silent, a long kiss... too beautiful, I can't even speak. (translation from JPopAsia)

Alice Nine, on the other hand, is a current darling of J-Rock fans. Probably because the vocalist, Shou, is cute as a button – that's him in the image, getting affectionate with his bandmate. Hey, if boyhowdy can post girlkissing this week, I think it's only fair to represent the opposite sex at play. Oh, right, the song…as far as I can tell, it's not a James Bond title track, but instead an ode to vampire love:

If my attention fades, it's all over
In just one moment
My throat gets bitten through
My voice becomes husky
Shall we deadly dance with... (translation from JPopAsia)

Like the earlier song, some of the lyrics are English, including that title. This is my favorite of the 4 songs, mostly 'cuz Shou's voice is surprisingly deep and rich.

Finally we've got a 1988 Buck-Tick tune, with a cover by our friend Kiyoharu, from a BT tribute album, PARADE. Buck-Tick (from a Japanese word meaning 'firecracker') was another of the defining Visual Kei bands of the '80s and beyond—they're still quite active. If it inspires you, check out the YouTube video of the two vocalists singing it together recently in front of adoring fans.

1991: Visual Kei

Don't you wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?

X Japan: Joker

[purchase]

Buck-Tick: Sakura

[purchase]

Luna Sea: Moon

[purchase]

So far we've mostly talked about what Americans were up to in 1991, until David just highlighted a Swedish group in the last post. Many of you have asked me what the Japanese crowd were busy with that year. By "many," of course, I mean "none." Still, I remain convinced you lot are undoubtedly wondering about it, but an unusual shyness has come over you.

X Japan, the premier Visual Kei group, was at their peak. The term Visual Kei was somehow derived from one of X Japan's catch-phrases, "Psychedelic violence crime of visual shock." It is probably more accurately translated as, "Your parents are gonna have (Hello) kittens when they find out that you fangirl us." The tune here, "Joker," is from their 1991 CD, Jealousy. Have fun playing "guess the English words" with this song. It's a pretty straightforward speed-metal rocker and showcases Yoshiki's intense drumming style that led to neck surgery last year and a bunch of cancelled concerts. At the end of this month, X Japan will finally play their long-delayed US tour, hitting Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, Chicago, Vancouver, Toronto, and New York City. You lucky stiffs!

Buck-Tick (from "bakuchiku", or firecracker), another mover and shaker in the VK scene, released their sixth major album that included Sakura (Cherry Blossom). This is not to be confused with the classic Sakura I posted during Public Domain week. I get all tongue-tied trying to express the awesomeness that is Atsushi Sakurai, their lead singer. I'm clearly not the only one who thinks so, if the fanvid on YouTube is anything to go by – it's set to Tom Jones' Sex Bomb.

Luna Sea makes for a nice end to our threesome. Moon is from their eponymous first album. They, too, are reuniting this fall with a "20th Anniversary World Tour Reboot -to the New Moon-", slated to show up in LA, Germany, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Tokyo in November. Luckily for Sugizo, one of Luna Sea's guitarists, this doesn't overlap with X Japan's tour – he's in both bands at the moment.